o feel attracted to her. The New Town soon entered
into the spirit of mediaeval Prague, put on no airs, but just joined in
any fray that happened to be going on. So New Town and Old were wont to
meet in battle over some vexed question, generally of theology strongly
mixed with politics, and a favourite cockpit was the ground in front of
"St. Mary of the Snow." It was on one of those occasions that the
steeple was brought down, together with a couple of monks who were
hiding in it, and also the big bell Carolus; a gun was brought into
action, and no doubt gave tone to the proceedings. This was in 1434;
nearly two centuries later some visitors generally alluded to as the
"Passauer," plundered this church and monastery.

This visit of the "Passauer" was again due to that noxious mixture,
religion plus politics. The Union of Protestant German Princes had been
broken, and Ravaillac's dagger had killed Henri Quatre, spoiling his
plans towards helping Protestantism, in which plans the French King had
also included Bohemia. Just about this time the Habsburger King of
Bohemia, Rudolph II, who must have been rather mad, was looking out for
a successor. He loathed all his relatives with complete impartiality,
save one, and that one was a cousin, Archduke Leopold, Bishop of
Strassbourg and Passau. Leopold was one of those fighting prelates who
send others to do the dirty work; in this case an army of his, some
thirty thousand bandits led by a foreign _condottiere_, invaded Bohemia,
burning and pillaging until they came to Prague. Rudolph had probably
invited them, as the imperial garrison of the Hrad[vs]any admitted these
"Passauer" to the Mala Strana. In Old Prague these marauders met with
resistance, though here too preparations had been made towards their
visit, as gunpowder and other warlike stores had been found in
monasteries and houses of the Jesuits. The Estates of Bohemia hastily
equipped Count Thurn, who soon got the better of Leopold's mercenaries,
and chased them and the Jesuits out of the country. Fighting about this
quarter of Prague--in fact, anywhere in the city--is now discouraged by
an efficient police force, and the only warlike sounds I have ever heard
proceeding from out the shadows of "St Mary of the Snow" came from the
band of the Salvation Army. A very good band it is too, though the tunes
it plays are not up to the native standard of music. Nevertheless the
Salvation Army is not only tolerated, but enjoys a